Love's Function
by Amaris Moon
Summary: The Professor makes a decision but can he bring himself to act upon it? A love story in three parts.
1. Chapter 1

They had been on the island for almost four years when he awoke one morning to a startling realisation. She had been featuring more and more in his dreams of late, and in the most recent one, he had actually kissed her.

Was this love? He'd never experienced such an intense feeling before, so he wasn't completely sure. What he did know was that he liked it. And he wanted to experience that kiss for real.

/

In the beginning, he had viewed her in much the same light as he viewed his students back home. It delighted him when she took an interest in his work; she asked such thoughtful questions and seemed genuinely pleased upon learning the answers.

He had found himself wanting to protect her during their many perilous situations. He had assumed this was due to her youth, her gender, her petiteness, but maybe there had been more to it than that. The thought of her being injured, or worse... He stopped himself. No, it wouldn't do to entertain such thoughts.

As he'd done with all the other castaways, he had analysed her, both consciously and unconsciously. He'd always found her attractive - that was a given. But for Roy Hinkley, that wasn't enough. And over the years, he had discovered just how much more there was to Mary Ann Summers than just a pretty face.

As he lay on his cot, he smiled as he ruminated on her most pleasing qualities. Her tendency to put others' needs before her own. Her compassion and her patience, most noticeable in her tender dealings with the good-hearted but woefully clumsy Gilligan. The fact she did more work than Ginger and the Howells combined, yet rarely complained. Her sense of humour. Her inquisitiveness. Her intelligence. She was the one that he enjoyed conversing with the most, and he had found himself making excuses to spend more time with her.

But what was he meant to do about it? What was the proper protocol in this situation? He supposed he ought to find out if the feeling was mutual. Certain things she said and did had led him to suspect it was, but he needed to know for sure. However, the idea of looking foolish and lovesick really did not appeal to him. He had never been much of a risk-taker.

"Probably why you're still a bachelor, Hinkley", he thought.

He decided a straightforward approach would be best. He would talk to her after dinner, as long as his nerves didn't betray him before then. He resolved to spend the day in his hut and would do all he could to keep his mind on his work and not on Mary Ann.

/

They ate rather early that evening and finished while it was still light. The washing up was done and he caught up to her as she was heading toward her hut. He gently grabbed her arm to stop her.

She turned. "Oh, Professor, you startled me! Is something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing's wrong. I'm sorry I startled you. I was just, uh, wondering if perhaps..." He licked his lips. "Well, what I mean is, if you're not otherwise engaged, would you like to take a stroll with me?" He hoped she couldn't tell how nervous he was.

"Of course, Professor. That sounds lovely! Do you have a specific destination in mind?"

"I thought we might head up to the lookout point. If I'm not mistaken, there's going to be a rather spectacular sunset tonight."

She nodded, and together they headed out of the camp. Not long into their trek, the foliage became a lot denser. He didn't notice the smile that flitted across her face as he took her hand to help her through. Fifteen minutes later, still holding hands, they arrived at their intended spot. Looking around, he spied a rock that could seat them both. He led her to it and they sat down.

Silence.

"Damn", he thought. "This is harder than I imagined it would be."

He searched his mind for a topic to break the ice. The weather? His latest research project? Of course. He had it. Food!

"I really enjoyed dinner tonight, Mary Ann. I know you don't have the greatest variety of ingredients to work with here on the island, but somehow you always manage to make our meals taste good."

She smiled and blushed slightly. "Thank you, Professor. I'm glad you liked it. Cooking has always been a favourite hobby of mine."

"Well, we are certainly lucky to have you here with us. Otherwise, we might've starved to death long ago!"

It was his turn to smile as she said, "We're lucky to have you, Professor. Your inventions have kept us alive on more than one occasion."

The conversation drifted to current events, what they missed most from home, and eventually to their most recent failed rescue attempt.

/

The sun had begun its descent and the sky was now a stunning medley of orange, red, pink, and purple. "Almost as beautiful as she is", he thought.

For a moment he was tempted to explain about how the scattering of electromagnetic particles was the cause of sunsets, but decided against it. It was time. He really had to know. He took a deep breath, reached for her hand, and looked straight into her eyes.

"Mary Ann, there's something I need to ask you." No going back now.

"Alright." She looked at him curiously.

"What would you do if I kissed you?"

Her reaction wasn't quite what he'd expected. She didn't seem at all taken aback. Had she been hoping that this was his intention in bringing her up here?

Mary Ann hesitated for a moment before she answered, with a slight grin on her face: "Well, I suppose I would either slap you... or kiss you back."

He laughed as his nervousness began to subside. "I guess that's a chance I'm willing to take."

He leaned toward her, finding it hard to take his eyes from hers. Oh, how he loved her eyes. They sparkled, full of life and love and everything else that was good in the universe. Finally, his lips connected with hers.

He waited, but the slap never came.


	2. Chapter 2

They were married on a Tuesday afternoon, on a small raft in the middle of the lagoon.

Mary Ann stood nervously, holding a small bouquet of tropical flowers she had picked that morning. Her dark hair was loose and wavy, and she had selected a large red flower to place behind her left ear. She was dressed in a white silk gown, one of Ginger's that the movie star had generously allowed Mary Ann to alter. Mr Howell had loaned the Professor one of his finest suit jackets for the occasion, and his fiancé decided he looked more dashing than Rock Hudson and Gregory Peck combined.

Ginger, of course, was bridesmaid, and Gilligan, best man. Both had been thrilled when they were asked to fill the roles, although Ginger would never admit to the tinge of jealousy she had initially felt when she had discovered who her roommate was dating. Over the years she had become quite fond of Mary Ann, and she knew she ought to be happy for her young friend.

The Skipper began. "We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony."

The couple in question weren't paying attention to what was being said, however, as they stared lovingly at one another. When the Skipper cleared his throat and repeated, "Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?", the Professor and Mary Ann both gave a slight start and began obediently following the Skipper's lead in the exchange of vows.

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

Mr Howell took his wife's hand and they said in unison: "We do."

Mary Ann smiled at the pair. Three days prior, she had asked them if they would take the place of her parents on her wedding day. They had agreed immediately, announcing that nothing would give them more pleasure. It had been Mr Howell's idea to include his wife in the custom of giving away the bride, which Mary Ann declared to be one of the sweetest, loveliest things she had ever heard. She hoped that she and Roy would share that same level of devotion after they had been married for twenty-five years.

"With the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife." The Skipper's grin was wide as he looked from the Professor to Mary Ann. Then, turning his attention back to the groom, he winked slyly. "You may now kiss the bride."

Roy reached up and put one hand on either side of Mary Ann's face. He caressed her cheeks with his thumbs for just a moment, before bringing his lips down to meet hers. The kiss was tender, not one of passion, but of belonging. They were legally united and nothing could part them.

/

The party that night was one to remember. Bamboo torches surrounded the clearing as the newlyweds shared their first dance, holding each other closer than they'd dared to before. Ginger divided her dances between the Skipper and Gilligan, although for the most part, Gilligan was content to sit and watch, appearing lost in his own thoughts. And Thurston and Lovey danced as if they were on their first date all over again.

Mr Howell's records played long into the night and, as she sailed around the dance floor in her husband's arms, Mary Ann thought back to the day he had proposed to her.

/

It was a late afternoon about four months earlier when he had led her once more to the lookout point where they'd shared the first of many kisses. They sat on "their" rock, content to just hold hands as they caught their breath. All day Mary Ann had thought something was a little off about the Professor's demeanour, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. He must've hit a roadblock with one of his experiments, she decided.

Several minutes later, just as the sun was beginning its daily journey down into the sea, Roy stood up. "I want to show you something."

He guided her carefully towards the edge of the cliff and she looked down. Her mouth dropped open slightly. On the beach below them, shells and small rocks formed the words 'marry me'. She stared for a moment, then turned. Roy was now down on one knee, holding out a ring carved entirely from coconut.

"Please?" It was almost a whisper.

All of a sudden Mary Ann's face lit up, as his question finally sunk in. "Of course! Yes, of course!"

Roy gave an audible sigh of relief as he grasped her left hand and, shaking a little, slipped the ring onto her fourth finger. Mary Ann brought her hand close to her face to admire it. "Did you make this?"

He nodded. He had spent hours on it, polishing until it gleamed. He couldn't quite believe how perfectly it fit on her finger. "Turns out you really can make anything from a coconut," he said, with a slight chuckle.

Mary Ann laughed and said, "I love it. And I love you."

The kiss that followed was deep and long. After several minutes, Mary Ann reluctantly pulled away as she began to feel a familiar warmth creep through her body. As much as she wanted for things to go further, she knew there would be plenty of time for that after their wedding. She was nothing, if not traditional.

Even so, she did worry about the practicalities of living as a married couple on an uncharted island. It wasn't exactly the ideal place to raise a family but, unfortunately, their birth control options were limited. This was to be something they would discuss several times over the course of their engagement, ultimately deciding that they didn't want to put off living their lives any longer. After all, they had no idea how many more months or even years they would spend on the island. They would just have to be careful and hope for the best, although Mary Ann would've been lying if she said the thought of getting pregnant didn't still worry her a little.

/

It was a little after midnight when The Professor took his wife's hand in his and led her back to the hut that would be theirs for the remainder of their time on the island. It was a new hut, consisting of two rooms, built close enough to the girls' hut that Ginger wouldn't be afraid to stay on her own, but also far enough away to give the Hinkleys their privacy.

And that night, as the couple entered the dwelling, thinking only of each other, privacy was something they were both looking forward to.


	3. Chapter 3

Almost three years had passed since the wedding. Not a lot had changed in that time. Most of the castaways had become resigned to spending the rest of their days on the island. Gilligan, however, was his usual optimistic self, convinced that they would one day be rescued. And the Professor continued his experiments, ever hopeful that one of them would lead to their salvation.

Meanwhile, Mary Ann paid particular attention to the dates on her handwritten calendar. She didn't like having to plan in advance for when she and her husband could be intimate, but they had both agreed it was for the best. So far they had been successful in their efforts to avoid conception, but every time they made love, Mary Ann wondered if this would be the time their luck would run out.

/

She was standing by the cooking pot, stirring the broth that was to be their lunch, when the nausea first hit. She stopped stirring and took a few deep breaths, but it was no use. She was going to throw up. Ginger came into the clearing just in time to see a pale-faced Mary Ann running towards the bushes.

"Honey, are you ok?"

Mary Ann shook her head and didn't stop. Concerned, Ginger followed her. She found her friend doubled over, retching desperately. Ginger held Mary Ann's hair out of the way as she emptied the contents of her stomach onto the ground. Several minutes later, the young brunette stood up and wiped her mouth.

"I'd better go freshen up so I can finish getting lunch ready."

"Nonsense. You need to go and lie down. I'll sort the lunch out. I'm sure it won't be that difficult to finish up whatever it is you're cooking."

Although Mary Ann had given Ginger a few culinary lessons over the years, she wasn't ready to relinquish her meal duties just yet.

"But I feel a lot better now!" she protested. Ginger got her way, though, and to Mary Ann's surprise, the soup didn't burn or curdle or evaporate. Lunch was a success.

/

Over the next week, the nausea returned several times more. Mary Ann managed to hide it from the others, but she couldn't help worrying. What she had initially assumed was food poisoning was obviously something else. Something much more permanent.

Late one afternoon, Roy entered their little hut to find Mary Ann hunched over the table, her head in her hands.

"Sweetheart?" He walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Is something wrong?"

Without looking up, she said in a quiet voice, "I think... I think I might be pregnant."

She heard his sharp intake of breath. He looked down at the calendar, which lay on the table in front of her. "How late are you?" he asked.

"Two weeks." She started to cry.

He sighed and knelt down next to her chair. "Mary Ann, look at me." She reluctantly did as requested. "It's going to be ok, sweetheart. I promise."

"How can you know that? What if something goes wrong? We have no doctors or proper medicine! Not to mention no diapers, no baby food, no crib..." She sniffled and trailed off.

"I know, darling. But women were having babies for centuries before the introduction of modern medical care. They did it and you can do it." He paused to allow her to speak but she said nothing. He decided to keep talking. "Together, we can make it work. Think about it. You can sew diapers. I can build a crib. We can make baby food from all the fruit here on the island. And I can even concoct rudimentary medicines if it's necessitated."

He hoped she couldn't tell that he was trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince her. The thought of raising a child scared him. It was the one experiment that he simply couldn't afford to mess up. He paused and reached down to touch her stomach. It was in there, tiny and vulnerable. His baby. _Their_ baby. Incredible.

"I love you. Both of you."

At his words, Mary Ann allowed a small smile to grace her lips. She wiped the tears from her cheeks, before putting her arms around her husband and holding him tightly. It was going to be ok. It had to be.

/

Surprisingly, they managed to keep their news under wraps for the next couple of weeks. They wanted to be more certain before telling the others. It was at dinner one evening when the Professor stood up to make the announcement.

"Mary Ann and I have something we'd like to share with you all."

The other castaways looked curiously at Mary Ann and then back at the Professor, who continued: "In a few months' time, we are going to be welcoming an eighth castaway to our little group."

Ginger, who had strongly suspected this was the case, said, "Oh, what fun!" and hugged Mary Ann. The Skipper and Mr Howell each shook the Professor's hand. Mrs Howell said, "Delightful! I think this calls for a little celebration!" Parties were her forte and she never let an excuse for one pass her by.

Gilligan was a little confused. "Won't they come by boat or plane? Couldn't we just ask them to rescue us?"

Everybody looked at him blankly for a moment, then the Skipper chuckled. "Little Buddy, what the Professor means is that they're going to have a baby."

Gilligan looked over at the couple as the situation dawned on him."Really? A baby? Wow!" A huge grin broke out on his face. He would have so much fun teaching the baby new things. How to climb a tree, skim stones, catch butterflies... Maybe he could even introduce it to Gladys.

Roy squeezed Mary Ann's hand. He was glad the others had taken the unexpected news so well. There would be no shortage of babysitters, he realised. Maybe a baby wouldn't spell the end of their love life after all. His grin must have betrayed his thoughts because Mary Ann gave him an odd look. He whispered, "I'll tell you later."

/

Roughly seven months later, Mary Ann was again standing by the cooking pot. Her back ached terribly but she was determined to prepare a nice meal for her friends, who had all pitched together to help get things ready for the new arrival. Aside from the initial morning sickness and the almost constant back ache that had taken hold as her pregnancy progressed, everything had gone fairly smoothly, much to her relief.

Gilligan was sitting at the table, whittling a piece of wood. Mary Ann's favourite soap opera was playing on the radio beside him, and she listened with rapt attention.

"Ohhhh!" A sudden cramp caused her to clutch at her stomach. Gilligan stood up, alarmed. "Mary Ann? What's wrong? Is it the baby? What should I do?"

The pain subsided fairly quickly but Mary Ann realised what it was. A contraction. She had been feeling a little off colour since the night before and she knew her baby would soon be making an appearance.

"Please get Roy for me." She sat down on the bench and tried not to panic. "Please hurry."

Gilligan nodded and ran towards the Hinkleys' hut, where the Professor was working.

"Professor! Professor!"

Not looking up from his test tubes, the Professor asked, "What is it, Gilligan?"

"I think the baby's coming!"

Roy jumped up, knocking his chair over in the process. "Where is she? Where's Mary Ann?"

"In the cooking area."

Roy ran faster than he'd run in a very long time, Gilligan on his tail. Mary Ann looked up as they arrived, and they saw her pretty face contort in agony as another contraction hit.

/

"I can't do this, Roy. I can't." She let out a sob. They were back in their hut and Mary Ann was lying on the bed. She had been in labour for two hours and the pain was really starting to get to her.

"Sorry, my dear, but you're going to have to. This baby is coming, whether you want it to or not."

As soon as he had said them, he realised how harsh his words must have sounded, especially to someone who was going through the hardest thing she'd likely ever endure. "Idiot!" he thought to himself. He picked up a towel and tenderly wiped his wife's damp face.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know this is hard but it will all be over soon. You can do this."

"It hurts so much. Please make it stop."

Roy felt a little helpless as he administered another dose of his homemade painkiller, knowing it wasn't really going to do much good. He would've given almost anything to be back home in the States, in a real hospital with real medicine.

/

Four long hours later, the baby slid out of Mary Ann and into the Professor's waiting hands.

A girl. Their baby was a girl. He was a father. The feelings that rushed through him were indescribable. He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

Snapping himself out of this momentary reverie, he cut the cord and began to look his daughter over. Ten fingers. Ten toes. The little girl let out a wail that belied her size. Healthy lungs.

"Is it ok? Is the baby ok?" Mary Ann couldn't hide her anxiety.

"She's fine. Absolutely perfect."

Mary Ann lay back, exhausted and relieved. A moment later, she realised what he'd said. "She?"

Roy smiled and walked over to his wife. "She. We have a daughter, sweetheart." He laid the crying infant on Mary Ann's chest and knelt down next to the bed. The young mother stared down at her new baby, all wrinkly and pink and naked. There was a dark tuft of hair on her head. Mary Ann gingerly stroked the baby's cheek with the back of her fingers and idly wondered whether she would have Roy's blue eyes or her own brown ones.

"We made her," she whispered. Roy nodded and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"She's the best present that anyone's ever given me. Thank you, my love. You are the bravest, strongest, most wonderful person I know."

Looking up at him, she replied, "I love you, Roy. I've never been so happy or so terrified before in my whole life." She felt completely overwhelmed.

He smiled as he kissed her again, this time on the lips.

/

A short time later, Roy handed the baby over to Ginger. After spending a few moments cooing over the newborn, she and Mrs Howell cleaned the infant and dressed her in a small white nightgown that Mary Ann had fashioned out of a t-shirt.

Once they were done, Ginger returned the baby to Mary Ann, who had been wearily watching the proceedings while Roy took care of the post-delivery cleanup.

"Has she got a name yet?" asked Mrs Howell.

Mary Ann nodded as she stared down at the tiny, warm bundle in her arms. "Lila Mae."

Ginger and Mrs Howell spoke at the same time: "Oh, that's beautiful!" "How lovely!"

Mary Ann's favourite grandmother was called Lillian and Roy's had been May, so they had decided to give their daughter a variation of their names. They wanted her to be an individual while at the same time honouring two women they admired greatly.

They were looking forward to seeing how her personality would develop as she grew up. Would she be a girly-girl or a tomboy or somewhere in the middle? Would she enjoy reading romance novels like her mother or textbooks like her father? Or would she be completely different to both of them? Roy and Mary Ann couldn't wait to find out.

-/-/-/-

**A/N: This is the final chapter of this story. I'm considering a sequel but that very much depends on whether the FF muse decides to play nice or not! Thank you so much for the reviews - it's nice to know others enjoyed this little tale, as soppy as it was.**

**P.S. Any resemblance to missanna444's adorable MAP story, Distant Memory, is entirely coincidental. Great minds and all that. ;)**


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